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Cutting Grocery Costs without Cutting Nutrition
Simple, healthy, and affordable ways to weather the rising price of food
by Karen Collins, R.D., American Institute of Cancer Research
Grocery prices are projected to increase again in 2008 – that’s following 2007’s highest annual increase in 17 years. But surviving these tough economic times doesn’t have to mean sacrificing good nutrition. Some simple strategies can help you cut food costs and eat more healthfully, too.
read more...
Wellness Workbook
How to Achieve Enduring Health and Vitality
by John W. Travis, M.D., Regina Sara R
For more than 30 years, John W. Travis, M.D., and Regina Sara Ryan have introduced thousands to the concept of wellness, a practical whole-self approach to healthy living. From how you breathe to how you view the world, the 12 interconnected elements of the Wellness Energy System affect all aspects of your life: your disposition toward injury and illness, your relationships, your general level of happiness, and beyond. In an optimal state of wellness, you are less prone to disease, stress, and other life-depleting factors. Thoroughly revised, THE NEW WELLNESS WORKBOOK presents a comprehensive self-assessment and hundreds of exercises and ideas to help you take control of your health and happiness.
Top 10 Food Mistakes
Food Mistake #1: You reach for multigrain bread or cereal
Foods labeled 7-grain or multigrain may seem like the healthiest choices—especially with new findings showing that a diet rich in whole grains protects against heart disease, cancer, and other ills.
The famed Nurses' Health Study documented lower rates of heart disease and stroke among whole grain eaters. Experts don't know all the reasons behind the benefits, but they do know that intact grains are rich in fiber and nutrients—including vitamin E, B vitamins, and magnesium—that are stripped away when grains are refined into flour.
read more...
More Than a Fridge Filler: Clever Uses for Baking Soda
By Olivia Kuhn-Lloyd of Intent
As elements of spring start to peak through, I’m inspired to freshen up my
beauty routine, which has always been minimal. Winter has taken its toll on my
skin and hair and enough is enough! It’s time to peal back the curtain.
Influenced by these ten beauty essentials totaling seventy-five dollars, I
started to think about glow- and shine-inducing products that I already have
on-hand and, my favorite of the bunch, baking soda.
How can my favorite multi-purpose (beauty) product enhance your grooming
routines? Read on. (More than a dusted off Redbook list, these applications for
baking soda are a compilation of research, polls, and personal use.)
Where to buy? For how much?
Baking Soda is ubiquitous. It does not vary by brand nor fall into different price brackets. It’s reliable and will always come to the siren call of your beauty needs.
It’s available. You can purchase it at supermarkets, bodegas, drug stores, and gas station mini-marts.
The price is right. The average drugstore sells baking soda for less than three dollars.
read more...
Where the Bugs Are
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Is there a more potent symbol of purity than the fluffy white snowflake, wafting from heaven and landing--ping!--on the tip of your tongue? Well, along comes the journal Science to spoil the fun, noting that bacteria called Pseudomonas syringe are lurking at the dark heart of many an earthbound crystal of frozen water. And if Frosty the Snowman is a target, what chance do the rest of us have?
A pretty good one, actually-- if you make note of the places where the bugs lie and swat them before they can do harm. Here's an updated to-disinfect list for all the surprising places (and people) contagion clings to.
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My wellness center – a free and personalized weight-loss and fitness tool
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Listing of Top Online Schools
Click here to receive a free trial of TrioThin.
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How to Combat the Latest Supergerms
CNNhealth.com
When the swine flu burst onto the scene in April, the bug arrived with a few particularly ominous signs: The flu was resistant to a class of drugs often used to fight flu in the past, and experts were surprised that a nonhuman virus could have such rapid human-to-human transmission. Why was swine flu resistant to current medicines, and was this strain a new supergerm?
Flu bugs develop drug resistance when a virus mutates in a way that makes medications ineffective. Overusing and misusing antiviral meds can cause the problem. But mutations can also crop up spontaneously, even when the drugs aren't overprescribed...
Swine flu seems to respond to Tamiflu, but we weren't sure at first. And we're seeing more strains of other types of flu, including some bird flu, that are resistant to it.
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More worrisome, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) -- bacteria that are resistant to methicillin, a common antibiotic -- now kills more people in U.S. hospitals than HIV, AIDS, and tuberculosis combined. And, scarier still, the bug is becoming increasingly common outside of hospitals, affecting everyone from infants with ear infections to young, healthy athletes. And MRSA, experts warn, is just the tip of the drug-resistance iceberg.
"Drug-resistant bacteria have developed in large part because of our overuse and misuse of antibiotics -- and it has led us to a crisis point," said Dr. Helen W. Boucher, a specialist in the division of infectious diseases at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. "We're even seeing bugs today that are resistant to all antibiotics."
But while some germs may be outpacing our ability to kill them, we're not completely defenseless. In fact, there are plenty of things we can do to slow their spread. Here, five of the scariest threats right now, and what you can do to keep yourself and future generations safe...
To avoid getting the flu viruses:
- Get an annual flu vaccination. The viruses in the vaccine (based on the type or strain of flu researchers think is most likely to hit) change every year, so get vaccinated each year, and early. It takes about two weeks for flu-fighting antibodies to develop, so get vaccinated in September or early October to protect yourself from early-arriving bugs.
- Wash your hands. The flu virus can live for up to 72 hours on surfaces like doorknobs, light switches, and TV remote controls and if you get it on your hands and touch your eyes or nose, you could get sick. That makes hand-washing the most effective daily defense. Wash briskly with plain old soap and water for 30 seconds.
- Fight the flu with vitamin D. "One study found that people who took vitamin D supplements were less likely to have cold and flu symptoms," said Dr. Michael F. Holick, professor of medicine, physiology, and biophysics and director of the Vitamin D, Skin and Bone Research Laboratory at Boston University School of Medicine. Holick says 1,500 to 2,000 I.U. of vitamin D not only bolsters the immune system but also may help prevent infection.
read more...
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The Wellness Lifestyle Pyramid
The guidelines for choosing the right foods and for improving your lifestyle are
in the Wellness Pyramid.
The pyramid is built on daily physical activity that is moderate yet constant in
time. It's important to drink plenty of water to take in liquids lost in
perspiration even if you do not feel thirsty.
The pillars of daily food intake are "good" carbohydrates, vegetables and fruit
and should make up a large part of your main meals. On the contrary, less
favorable refined carbohydrates are to be limited such as pasta, rice and
potatoes.
read more...
Pregnancy DOs and DON'Ts
Eat this. Don't eat that. Do this. Don't do that. Pregnant women are
bombarded with DOs and DON'Ts. It's tough to keep it all straight.
read more...
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How To Eat Your Way To Better Skin
If you want a flawless complexion, what you put into your mouth is as important as what you put on your face.
Consider: walnuts, wild fish, peanut butter, cooked tomatoes...
Eat more wild (not farm-raised) cold water fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna, herrings. These are all rich in omega3 fatty acids, whose anti
inflammatory properties keep wrinkles at bay.
Snack on walnuts, which are also rich in omega 3 fatty acids.
Eat peanut butter jelly sandwich. Make sure the bread is whole wheat and jelly is added sparingly. Peanut butter is a rich source of
omega 6 fatty acids, which come in at close second to omega 3 fatty acids in protecting the skin from aging.
Avocados are rich in omega 6 fatty acids as well. Make sure you eat "good" fats every day - too little fat leads to dry flaky skin.
Stay hydrated and keep skin smooth by drinking lots of water and cutting back on dehydrating beverages containing
caffeine and alcohol. Aim for half your body weight in ounces of water every day.
Take a daily multivitamin. which will ensure that your skin is getting enough vitamin K and Z. Both help your skin cells repair themselves.
Take a Biotin supplement, to strengthen your their nails and hair, also improves the
texture of the skin.
Sugar causes sagging and wrinkling by attaching itself to collagen and elastin in skin, causing it to become brittle and break. Sugar also causes dark under eye circles. Choose green apples over red; they release smaller amounts of sugar.
Go easy on the dairy; dairy free diet can eliminate acne.
Cook a big pot of tomato sauce. Cooked tomatoes release licopin and other anti oxidants, that prevent skin damage.
9 Things You Can Do to Be Happy in the Next 30 Minutes
By Real Simple
Being happier doesn’t have to be a long-term ambition. You can start right now.
In the next 30 minutes, tackle as many of the following suggestions as possible.
Not only will these tasks themselves increase your happiness, but the mere fact
that you’ve achieved some concrete goals will boost your mood.
read more...
Affordable
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low-cost health insurance? Protect your family with the right coverage at
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Beauty Shortcuts for Busy Women
You're a busy woman. This we know. So we've pulled it all together for you:
makeup that flatters, look-younger hair tricks, and much more.
by Good Housekeeping
Kiss your old lipstick good-bye
If you've been wearing the same shade since the Rachel was the hottest haircut,
it's official: You're stuck in a lipstick rut. The easiest way to try something
new and still feel like you? Pick a color similar to your favorite formula but
with a hint of gold, says Los Angeles-based makeup artist Julie Hewett. (Two of
our favorites: Lancôme Juicy Rouge in Sorbet and Avon Double Impact Lipcolor in
Champagne.) The big (surprising) impact of that tiny change? Instantly brighter
eyes.
Create cheekbones
Forget '80s-style racing stripes. There's a far more natural way to contour your
cheeks, says celebrity makeup artist Nick Barose: Choose a powder blush a couple
of shades darker than your skin tone (like a bronzer, but not too brown).
Starting right under your cheekbone, sweep the color toward your hairline,
fading it slightly as you go; then apply a golden-toned illuminating powder or
cream directly above. (We like BeComing Added Brilliance Powder Blush and
Highlighter in Tempting; it contains both shades.) As the higher spot catches
the light and the darker, lower area recedes, voilŕ! More-prominent cheekbones.
Prevent foundation from caking around your nose
The secret, says Barose, is to first apply a thin layer of eye gel around your
nostrils. (Try Origins No Puffery eye gel or Nivea Visage Soothing Eye Gel.) As
the gel dries, it creates a smoother surface for makeup to attach to. And choose
a stick-formula foundation — its less creamy texture also wards off creases.
read more...
Treating Minor Beauty Injuries
Here's how to handle little beauty mishaps without an M.D.
By Stacey Colino
Red, Raw Skin From Exfoliating Too Vigorously
The Rx: You removed not only dead skin cells on top but also
healthy cells underneath. Apply cool washcloths for a few minutes. Then apply a
thick, bland, soothing moisturizer (such as Vanicream) to calm the area. Avoid
creams with fragrance or exfoliating ingredients, as they can sting and burn
already sensitized skin. Stick with a gentle cleanser for a few days, and avoid
the sun. "Let the skin heal before you wear makeup or put anything containing
chemicals on it," Sengelmann says. If the redness and the irritation worsen or
if they don't go away in a week, see a dermatologist.
Quick camouflage: Use a small amount of a nonirritating,
green-tinted moisturizer, as green lessens red tones. (Try Eucerin Redness
Relief Daily Perfecting Lotion SPF 15.)
read more...
Childhood and Youth Obesity Prevention
Childhood and Youth Obesity information, physical activities, after school programs, BMI calculator, nutrition information. read more...
The UltraMind Solution
Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First
by Mark Hyman, MD,
Mark Hyman, MD, is the editor in chief of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, the most prestigious journal in the field of integrative medicine.
This book is considered useful for a large audience. Those suffering from problems such as anxiety, depression, "brain fog", ADHD, migraines or other brain related problems will find something helpful or even life-changing. Those interested in new approaches & optimum health will find new concepts & tools that they can implement in their own healthy lifestyle.
Is the
recession hitting you hard? Make some extra cash from the comfort of your home.
Click here to learn more.
Wellness Workbook
How to Achieve Enduring Health and Vitality
by John W. Travis, M.D., Regina Sara R
For more than 30 years, John W. Travis, M.D., and Regina Sara Ryan have
introduced thousands to the concept of wellness, a practical whole-self approach
to healthy living. From how you breathe to how you view the world, the 12
interconnected elements of the Wellness Energy System affect all aspects of your
life: your disposition toward injury and illness, your relationships, your
general level of happiness, and beyond. In an optimal state of wellness, you are
less prone to disease, stress, and other life-depleting factors. Thoroughly
revised, THE NEW WELLNESS WORKBOOK presents a comprehensive self-assessment and
hundreds of exercises and ideas to help you take control of your health and
happiness.
Body Image and Your Health
by Amanda Bach
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As women, we all want to look and feel our best. This is not always easy, considering the busy life today's woman leads and the many responsibilities she may have. It can be tough to find time for exercising and eating right, not to mention controlling stress! Developing and nurturing a positive body image and a healthy mental attitude is crucial to a woman's happiness and wellness. What is body image?
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read more...
Staying Active
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An active lifestyle can help every woman. If you think you´re too busy with work, family, and all the other demands in your life, listen up! You don´t have to be as fit as a professional athlete to benefit from physical activity. In fact, 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week can greatly improve your health.
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Managing Your Energy After Childbirth
by Sylvia Brown, author of The Post-Pregnancy Handbook: The Only Book that Tells What the First Year After Childbirth is Really All About -- Physically, Emotionally, Sexually
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Unfortunately, fatigue is part of the postnatal period. Although sleep deprivation is almost inevitable, utter exhaustion is avoidable. Here are a few tips and recommendations on how to manage your energy levels in the weeks and months after childbirth.
While some mothers feel “back on their feet” after just a few days home from the hospital, medical studies show that fatigue generally reaches its peak two to four days after you return home. Many women also go through a slump between the eighth and tenth week after childbirth when the accumulated lack of sleep really begins to cause damage. Only 50 percent of women feel that they have regained their usual energy levels within six weeks postpartum...
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read more...
Rules of Thumb for Choosing a Baby Name
by Laura Wattenberg, author of
The Baby Name Wizard: A Magical Method for Finding the Perfect Name for Your Baby
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From Aaliyah to Zvi, the range of name choices is dazzling. If you're a sleepless parent-to-be, it can look like a vast landscape with no roadmap. To make sure you keep your bearings, here are some basic principles for understanding names -- and finding that one perfect name that speaks to your heart.
Rule #1: Personal taste isn’t so personal
Not long ago, I heard an expectant mother beside herself with outrage. She had just learned that another woman in her small town had “stolen” her baby name! No, she admitted, she had never met the woman. But for years now she had been planning to name a baby Keaton, a name she had personally invented, and now there was another little Keaton right across town. Someone must have told that other mother her own secret, special name. Thief!
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Need low-cost health insurance? Protect your family with the right coverage at
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Mothering Through Mid-Life: When Disengagement Entices
by Michele Howe
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I had just gotten up and admittedly wasn't quite fully awake when my husband soberly informed me that our eighteen-year-old daughter's car had been vandalized during the night. I stood there in the chilly kitchen trying to take in the specific details of the minor crime...worst was the insulting graffiti written on her windows. A myriad of conflicting thoughts and emotions ran like a freight train through my brain, some of which I am ashamed to confess were of the reprisal sort.
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Featured Health Topic - Diabetes
by Amanda Bach
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A feature designed to help you find important health information on womenshealth.gov and girlshealth.gov - Sources by Amanda Bach - According to the American Diabetes Association, 18.2 million people in America have diabetes. But 5.2 million of these people have yet to be diagnosed because diabetes can be a silent disease. You could have it for years and never know it. During this time, your eyes, nerves, and kidneys could be harmed by too much sugar in your blood. The American Diabetes Alert Day, is a one-day call-to-action for people to find out if they are at risk for diabetes.
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Breakthrough: Eight Steps to Wellness
Life-Altering Secrets from Today’s Cutting-Edge Doctors and the #1 New York
Times Bestselling Author of Ageless
by Suzanne Somers
... Somers and twenty doctors in the field of antiaging medicine argue that the
processed chemicals in foods and pharmaceuticals we ply ourselves with are
actually slowly eroding our bodies and minds.
So we’re getting slammed twice. From estrogen dominance to deceptive thyroid
problems, people are suffering, and most don’t have access to the treatment they
truly need to get better and thrive ... until now.
Breakthrough explores cutting-edge science and delivers smart, proactive advice
on the newest treatments for breakthrough health and longevity.
read more...
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The SingleMom.com™ site provides information to help advance women's health research, services, and public and health professional education. The materials contained here are not intended to be used for the diagnosis or treatment of a health problem or as a substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional. References to any non-governmental entity, product, service, or source of information that may be contained in this site should not be considered an endorsement, either direct or implied, by the SingleMom.com™ in the U.S. SingleMom.com™ is not responsible for the content of any non-Federal web pages referenced in this web site.
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9 Cash-Saving Tips That Pay Big Bucks
complaintsboard.com
The expression "a penny saved is a penny earned" doesn't cut it these days. But saving a few dollars here and there can add up...
read
more...
Try out these Thanksgiving recipes from tasteofhome
You May Have Too Much Debt But You Also Have Options
How Life Works
If you feel like you're in over your head with personal debt, you're not alone. Millions of Americans have become overextended, many as a result of easy credit and the recessions. Credit cards, medical bills, personal loans and raising interest rates do not make a good financial mix.
read more...
Suze Orman's Recession Rescue Plan - helps you survive in times of financial crisis
OPRAH.com
Do you know what your family would do if you lost your job - or worse, your home? Financial expert Suze Orman is ready to help you
devise a recession rescue plan to survive - and possibly thrive - during this deepening financial crisis...
read more...
Could fat babies mean fat toddlers?
A new study from Harvard Medical School found that babies who gained weight quickly had a sharply higher risk of obesity. The study
followed close to 600 babies and found those in the top quarter of weight for their length at 6 months had a 40 percent higher risk of
obesity by age 3 than smaller babies.
read
more...
The 10-Ingredient Shopping Trip
By Tara Parker-Pope and Mark Bittman
... In his latest “How to Cook Everything” segment on the Today Show, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman makes it
surprisingly easy to cook a week’s worth of dinners with just a 10-ingredient shopping trip.
read
more...
Finding last-minute tuition money
There's still time to find funds for this semester's college tuition. But you'll have to move quickly.
By Gerri Willis
It's only a couple of weeks or even days until school begins. And if you don't think you'll be able to get a handle on your college
tuition bill, here with your guide to last minute money.
read more...
Short-term Payday Loans
econ4u.org
...Which are more expensive, late fees or short-term loans?...
A short-term payday loan can be a better option than overdraft fees, reconnect fees, late payment fees or a damaged credit rating when
the loan is repaid promptly. However, these loans are not suited for longer repayment periods...
Being realistic about budgeting can help avoid the need for short-term borrowing.
read more...
Your Just-in-Case Emergency Plan
by RealSimple
Who do you call if you can't make it home in time to meet the kids' bus? Who do
you trust to take in your mail when you're on vacation? Who do you trust with
the extra set of keys to your house?
read
more...
How to save $10,000 in 2009
By Liz Pulliam Weston
If you were hoping for a list of small tweaks you could make in your spending to save $10,000 a year, sorry. The reality is that
$10,000 is a lot of money. And saving big money usually means making big changes in the areas where we spend the most, such as:
Housing, Transportation, Food.
read
more...
The Super, Sexy, Single Mom on a Budget
by Renee Rayles
A quick reference guide designed for the busy, single mom who has
little time to read while running the mom taxi, cooking dinner, helping with homework, and trying to fit in a date night every now and
then.
32 and Counting? Finding Your Happily Ever After Today
by Gi Gi
The author talks about the struggles a single mom goes through and the discovery that you can have HEAT (Happily Ever After Today) just
as you are, being single, taking care of your kids...
read more...
Single Mothers &
Male Role-Models / Mentors
Single mothers carry an enormous load of responsibility, especially those having sole and/or primary custody of minor children. They
nourish, they nurture, they teach, they discipline, they shelter, they protect, and they provide… all without the assistance of another
equally-invested adult.
read more...
Your 5-minute guide to protecting your identity
20 steps to protect yourself from identity theft, and seven ways to clean up things if you become a victim.
read more...
TheOnlineMom.com offers parents and consumers a guide to the top-rated, age-appropriate, kid-tested and parent-approved tech toys and gifts.
read more...
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
by Jeff Kinney
For those wondering why tween boys don’t read very much, the answer is that more books aren’t like this...
read more...
10 Superfoods That Should Be in Your Daily Diet
Supercharge your diet with these doctor-approved upgrades
As Told to Max Alexander, Best Life
My interest in what is now known as integrative medicine began many years ago when I was a teenager and witnessed my grandmother battle a breast-cancer recurrence. In those days, it was typical for patients receiving chemotherapy to be confined to a hospital bed. Nothing was done to stop her decline—not nutritionally, not physically, not really medically—and she eventually wasted away and died in her bed.
read more...
The Twenty Healthiest Foods for Under $1
By: Brie Cadman
Food prices are climbing, and some might be looking to fast foods and packaged foods for their cheap bites.
But low cost doesn’t have to mean low quality. In fact, some of the most inexpensive things you can buy are the best things for you. At the grocery store, getting the most nutrition for the least amount of money means hanging out on the peripheries—near the fruits and veggies, the meat and dairy, and the bulk grains—while avoiding the expensive packaged interior. By doing so, not only will your kitchen be stocked with excellent foods, your wallet won’t be empty.
Read more about the great nutritional value of these twenty healthiest foods under $1: Oats, Eggs, Kale, Potatoes, Apples, Nuts, Bananas, Garbanzo Beans, Brocolli, Watermelon, Wild Rice, Beets, Butternut Squash, Whole Grain Pasta, Sardines, Spinach, Tofu, Lowfat Milk, Pumpkin Seeks, Coffee...
How to eat healthy on the cheap
TODAY diet and nutrition editor Madelyn Fernstrom talks with TODAY host Meredith Vieira about some ways to cut down your grocery bill, while still buying nutritious foods.
read more...
10 Reasons You're Not Losing That Weight
If losing weight were simple, Spanx would be just a screen name in an S&M chat room. But dieting is complicated: There are even ways to screw up without realizing it. For instance, who would ever think that working out in the a.m. or cranking the AC might be the reason you're not slimming down? Luckily, once you've ID'd these flubs, fixing them is nowhere near as hard as pulling on a pair of control-top hose.
read more
Take Your Licks
Icy treats for 160 calories or less — how cool is that?
by Loren Chidoni, Women's Health
When you're squeezing into last year's tankini, the dessert end of the freezer aisle seems taboo. But what would summer be without popsicles and fro-yo? Sucky, that's what. To find frosty goodies that won't test the limits of Lycra, we sampled 27 kinds. The result: these eight amazing, guilt-free indulgences — and one mother of an ice-cream headache.
read more...
How to Be a Budget Organic
What's worth the extra cost, what's not, and how to save in other ways
by Cynthia Sass, RD, Prevention
With all the news about rising food costs, you may be wondering if the organic milk you've been putting in your cart is worth the extra cash. It is. Organic food is more expensive, but when it comes to the staples of your diet, organics are a worthwhile investment, with payoffs that might surprise you. The benefits influence your health today—and long-term.
read more...
Eat your way to less stress
Whether you're anxious, irritable, angry or suffering from insomnia, Dr. David Simon discusses which foods can help.
read more...
10 things your hospital won't tell you
by SmartMoney
"Oops, wrong kidney."
Treatment errors are common, finding someone in charge can seem impossible, and patients sometimes wind up sicker than when they arrived. And here's a tip: Try to avoid hospitals late at night and in July.
In recent years, errors in treatment have become a serious problem for hospitals, ranging from operations on wrong body parts to medication mix-ups.
At least 1.5 million patients are harmed every year from being given the wrong drugs, according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. That's an average of one person per U.S. hospital per day.
One reason these mistakes persist: Only 10% of hospitals are fully computerized and have a central database to track allergies and diagnoses, says Robert Wachter, the chief of medical service at UC San Francisco Medical Center.
But signs of change are emerging. More than 3,000 U.S. hospitals, or 75% of the country's beds, have signed on for a campaign by the not-for-profit Institute for Healthcare Improvement to implement prevention measures such as multiple checks on drugs.
read more...
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